By the time Mu Mu returned, Feng Jiu’er was still resting against a tree branch — though this time, a much lower one, since she had leapt up there herself.

Her once pure-white garments had been torn open in several places by the black wolves’ claws. She had sealed her own meridian points, slowing the bleeding considerably, though a faint trickle still seeped through.

Seeing her like this, Mu Mu’s heart wrenched with pain. He immediately lifted her down from the tree.

Damn it — he should never have left. He hadn’t expected that in the short time he was gone, she had nearly lost her life.

“What about that person?” Feng Jiu’er had little strength left, weak all over from blood loss.

“He got away.” There was guilt in Mu Mu’s eyes. “I’m sorry, I couldn’t…”

“The black wolves scattered too — looks like they tore into a few of the black-clad men who’d been firing stray arrows.”

“Stray arrows?” Mu Mu started, turning to glance at the unit that had followed him back.

“We would never have sent black-clad men out to hunt you down. I’m afraid someone else out there still wants you both dead.”

Huo Yan waved a hand, and at once, more than a dozen men from the unit behind him spread out to search the surroundings.

Before long, someone called out, “Commandant, sir, there’s a black-clad man here — killed by the black wolves!”

Feng Jiu’er closed her eyes. Killing was never what she wanted, but if she hadn’t lured the wolves to attack these men, it would have been her own life lost instead.

Those who commit enough wrongs eventually bring ruin upon themselves — she owed no one anything.

Seeing that even Huo Yan had arrived, Feng Jiu’er opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but she couldn’t fight off the wave of dizziness crashing over her.

In the end, her eyes slipped shut, and she fainted away.

The two leaves she had been gripping tightly in her fingers slipped loose from her slender hand and drifted down to the ground.

“Jiu’er!” Mu Mu’s face changed at once. He held her, shaking her urgently. “Wake up!”

Huo Yan pressed two fingers to the side of Feng Jiu’er’s neck. “Don’t panic — she’s likely fainted from blood loss. Get her back to the medical hall quickly for treatment.”

“Right!”

…

Because of a sealed order from the Ninth Prince, even the headmaster himself had been roused. Now, several high-ranking figures of the Dragon Martial Academy were gathered in the main hall of the medical hall.

This time, Fang Zheng himself presided in person, leaving Commandant Zheng of the Imperial Guard Institute completely powerless to act.

“This humble servant begs forgiveness from Your Highness — it was my failure in handling matters!” Commandant Zheng knelt on the ground, his voice trembling.

“I hear there were wild wolves on the back hill, and they killed several black-clad men?” The Empress frowned, her grip tightening slowly around her cup. “Were there any survivors?”

“Reporting to Her Highness the Empress, I’ve heard that the Dragon Martial Army brought back the bodies of five black-clad men. There were no survivors at all — indeed, all of them were killed by wild wolves.”

“Wild wolves on the back hill of the Right Army Institute? Since when were there so many?” The Empress’s brow remained furrowed, not relaxing in the slightest.

“That, this humble servant does not know either. But I will do everything in my power to investigate thoroughly.”

Commandant Zheng now only hoped for even the smallest chance — a chance to survive — after all, the failure was entirely his own to bear.

He had mobilized so many men from the Imperial Guard Institute, and yet they hadn’t been able to handle a single young girl!

At this point, even if the Empress spared his life, she would likely never trust him with important matters again.

“Empress, Your Highness…”

“What did you just call me?” The Empress lowered her gaze to look at him, giving a cold snort. “It’s the middle of the night — shouldn’t I be resting in the palace, in my own Xuanhua Hall? What business would I have coming to your Imperial Guard Institute?”

Commandant Zheng froze for a moment before suddenly understanding. “This humble servant has overstepped — my eyes deceived me. There is no Empress here at the Imperial Guard Institute!”

There was no Empress — the Empress was, at this very moment, resting in Xuanhua Hall! What did any of what happened here have to do with her?